Drop-door-operating mechanism for hopper-bottom cars.



A. BECKER.'

DROP DOOR OPERATING .MBGHANISM POR HOPPER BOTTOM GARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1908. l

Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

INVENTOR ,Aiiorney ZJTNESSES M257 mnazw. s. annum O0. Pmmumuemvusws.wlsumamn. n. C.

omrnn STATES vrnrnrvr onmon.

.ANTON BECKER, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RALSTON STEEL CAR COM-PANY, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO. v

DROP-DOOR-OPEBATING MECHANISM' FOR HOPPER-BOTTOM CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.' Patented Slept. 14C, 1999.

Application filed November` 28, 1908. Serial No. 464,854.

ToY all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON BECKER, of Columbus, in the county of Franklinand State of Ohio, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements inDrop-Door- Operating Mechanism for Hopper-Bottom Cars and l do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in drop-door operating mechanismfor hopper bottom cars,-the object of the invention being to providesimple and efficient means which may be located between and inclosed bythe center girder members of the car for operating the drop doors andsupporting them in their closed position.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter setforth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a portion of a hopper bottom car showing the application of myimprovements thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 1s aplan view. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the operating shaft andsprocket thereon.

l, 1, represent the inclined portions of the hopper bottom of the carand 2, 2, the center girder members. Pairs of drop doors 3, 4, arehinged at respective sides of the center girder to the lower edges ofthe inclined hopper plates 1. The drop doors 3 at one side of the centergirder are connected to the drop doors 4 at the other side thereof bymeans of angle irons 5, 6, secured to said doors and extending acrossthe center girder members and under the same. The angle bar 5 projectssomewhat beyond the free edges of the doors to which it is secured andreceives the free edges of the oppositely hinged doors, as clearly shownin Fig. 1. A shaft 7 is mounted in suitable bearings 8 between thecenter girder members approximately in vertical alinement with themeeting edges of the doors, and to this shaft wheels 9, 10, are secured.A chain 11 secured to the angle bar 5 is wound i on the wheel 1() andmade fast thereto,

while a chain 12 is secured to the angle bar 6, is wound on the pulleyor wheel 9 and fastened thereto. The wheels 9, 10, are of such size asto permit a suiiicient length of chain to allow the doors to drop to avertical position. A shaft 13 is mounted in the center girder membersbeyond the hopper bottom of the car and extends to the side of the carwhere it is supported in a suitable bearing 14 and adapted to receive anarm or lever for rotating it. The shaft 13 is provided at a pointbetween the center girder members with a sprocket wheel 15 for theaccommodation of a sprocket chain 16 which also passes over andtransmits motion to a larger sprocket 17 secured to rotate with thewheels 9, 10. The wheel 9 is provided with a laterally projecting pin orlug 18 to be engaged by a hook 19 secured to the angle bar 6 forsupporting the doors when in closed position. The hook 19 is so shapedon its inside that when the doors are in their open or dependingpositions, no material will be permitted to lodge thereon.

When the doors are open and it is desired to close them, the operatorwill rotate the shaft 13 and thereby canse motion to be transmittedthrough the sprocket gearing to the wheels 9, 10. The rotation of thesewheels will cause the chains 11 and 12 to be wound thereon and the doorsto be raised. As the doors approach their closed position, the lug orpin 18 will move under the hook 19 and the engagement of these partswill constitute an eifectual support for the doors in their closedposition. Thus it will be seen that when the doors are closed, they willbe supported by the center girder through the medium of the lug or pin18 engaged by the hook 19, the wheel 9 and the shaft 7.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent is,-

1. The combination with a hopper bottom car provided with a centergirder, of drop doors, a wheel supported by the center girder andconnected with the drop doors, means for rotating said wheel, andengaging means between said wheel and the drop doors for supporting thelatter in closed position.

2. The combination with a hopper bottom car provided with a centergirder, of drop doors, wheels supported by the center girder, chainswound on said wheels and connected with the respective drop doors nearthe meeting,` edges thereof, a projection on one of said between thecenter girder members and on wheels, a hook on one of the drop doors toengage said projection, means on the drop door carrying the hook forsupporting` the oppositely hinged drop door, and means for rotating saidwheels.

3. The combination with a hopper bottom ear provided with a centergirder, of drop doors, Wheels supported by the center gir-der, meansconnected with said wheels for raising the drop doors to closedposition, an operating shaft, and gearing between said operat-` ingshaft and said wheels.

t. The combination with ahopper bottom car provided with a centergir-der comprising two members, of drop doors, chains con` nected withsaid drop doors, wheels mounted which said chains are adapted to wind, asprocket wheel rotatable with said first mentioned wheels, an operatingshaft, aspro-cket wheel secured thereto bet-Ween the centergirdermembers, a sprocket chain passing over said sprocket wheels andengagingdevices between said wheels and the drop doors for supporting the latterin closed position.

n testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ANTGN BECKER.

Witnesses E. S. CULVER, T. A. Livin GsToN.

